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The dull light, the pervasiveness of gray, the clingingly cold humid air, the lifeless frozen ground; all bespeak the persistence of winter. The star rodent who dwells in Pennsylvania predicted an early spring, but he must have received a bum tip from his handlers. Having come to trust in the ground hog’s prognostications, I feel somewhat betrayed. The standing pools of partially frozen water and the mud that clings to our dog Blue’s undercarriage suggest that spring, like me, has decided to sleep in a little while longer.

The goats show no interest in venturing outside, content to burrow a little deeper in their straw bedding to stay warm. There swelling bellies and voracious appetites underline the urgency of moving forward despite winter’s lingering grip. We have started to clean out the kid barn, to wash the baby bottles and set up the new born totes. The births are insensitive to the weather; they will come when it’s time, snow squalls or not. The inevitability of the change of seasons gives me hope. Sleep deprivation awaits me in the near future.

Final Dote on the Does-This Weekend February 23-24, 11 AM to 3 PM each day

Come out for “Dote on the Does” and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a specialty coffee drink as you meet the moms of the babies that will be born this spring. Our staff will be grooming and feeding the goats, as well as answering any questions you may have. Watch as we measure and track the girth of the does scheduled first to go (kidding season should start the first full week in March): Helena, Medusa, Periwinkle, Violet, and Zora.

This is your last chance to take your guess at which doe will give birth first! Pick a doe, a date and the number of kids for a chance to win a free Prairie Fruits Farm t-shirt. While you’re visiting, venture into the Farm Store for a cheese board and glass of wine or beer or just curl up in a comfy chair and read a book or magazine. The farm store will have a limited repertoire of cheese for sale, as well as other products (meats, eggs, sausages, locally milled flour, honey, jam, PFF& C “merch”) and more!

Babies and Brunch Season will be here soon!

The arrival of baby goats at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery means one thing to many of our patrons: the return of “Babies and Brunch.” This year, our season kicks off on Saturday March 30th with pastries and baked goods from Lucky Pierre Bakers. Chef Raquel Ritz will take over the culinary helm in April with her pop-up café style menu. Details are forthcoming, but mark your calendars NOW. The farm store will be open every weekend starting March 30th, both Saturdays and Sundays, but hours and offerings will differ for each day.

We have decided to forgo our cheese and gelato CSA this year, so that we can focus our attentions on bringing you delicious cheese and gelato to the Urbana Farmers’ Market and to offer it to you in our farm store, The Real Stand. That said, we will be participating in Blue Moon Farm’s new multi-farmer, customizable CSA program. Details and sign up opportunities are in the works.

Dinners on the Farm: The 2019 Season

What better way to encourage winter to be on its way than to plan for our summer-fall farm dinner series. We’ve been communicating with a number of chefs this winter, some familiar favorites and some new, and we are excited to launch the sale of tickets for many of the dates this season. Ticket sales begin on Friday, February 22nd at 10 AM.

If you’re not familiar with how our dinners work, check out our “Dinner Basics” page. If you’re a regular and you want to dive right in, go to the “2019 Season” page. We have a fantastic line up of chefs and themes so far, with more in the planning. We are excited to host you all again and to ignite the magic around good food and great company.

Taking reservations for spring goat kids

If you’re looking for exceptionally healthy, American-Dairy-Goat-Association-registerable breeding stock (doelings and bucklings) or just a great pet/companion, consider reserving a kid or more through our website. Our kidding season will start in mid- March, and prices vary by age.

Volunteer Opportunities at the Farm

If you’re interested in volunteering during kidding season (we need lots of help feeding baby goats, cleaning their pens and making sure they’re happy and healthy), send us an email and we’ll add you to our list of volunteers. The email address is: prairiefruitsinfo@gmail.com

Feeding shifts are 7-8 AM, 12-1 PM and 4:30-5:30 PM, 7 days a week from mid-March through mid-May. We are hosting a mandatory volunteer orientation this Sunday, February 23rd from 3-4 pm. If you want to help feed baby goats, you must attend this meeting.

We humble folks of the upper Midwest pride ourselves on our toughness, our ability to take weather extremes in stride. Got snow? Just plow it or shovel and get on with the day. Ice storm got you encased? Throw down some salt or sand and hope the warming thaw is not too far behind. It has been a few years since we’d experienced a “polar vortex, ”and last week’s was exceptional in its temperature lows.

In preparation for the deep freeze, we put down extra layers of fresh straw bedding in the goat barns and sealed the cracks in the chicken coop with plywood. As the mercury plummeted, the goats enlisted their multi-pronged approach to staying warm. They puff up their winter coats to keep the cold air further away from their skin. As ruminants, they eat grassy hay continuously, keeping their rumens active and generating heat as a by-product of digestion. As dusk falls, they nestle down into the straw and huddle together to share in each other’s body heat.

During such times of extreme weather we worry most about our senior goats—Liberty (14) and Gidget (13) are the two oldest does in our herd. Both retired, they have trouble keeping on weight, even though neither is bred. On the morning of the coldest day (minus 20 actual temperature), Wes found Liberty and Gidget snuggling together, their bodies buried so deep in the straw, their heads were barely visible. Worried that they might be unable to stand up, he helped them to their feet. Taking it all in stride, they puffed up their coats and waddled over to the hay manger to get some chow. Tough farmers, tough goats; everyone happy that the groundhog predicts an early arrival of spring.

Dote on the Does

During the winter months, the farm seems fairly quiet, but actually there’s a lot going on. The hardest working animals on the farm are our female goats, or does, which are over half way through their 150-day gestation period. Each doe is starting to show signs of pregnancy as their bodies go into overdrive to develop the babies inside. It’s this time of the year they deserve a little pampering!

Come out for “Dote on the Does” and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a specialty coffee drink as you meet the moms of the babies that will be born this spring. Our staff will be grooming and feeding the goats, as well as answering any questions you may have. Watch as we measure and track the girth of the does scheduled first to go (kidding season should start the first full week in March): Helena, Medusa, Periwinkle, Violet, and Zora.

While you’re out at the farm, be sure to take your guess at which doe will give birth first! Pick a doe, a date and the number of kids for a chance to win a free Prairie Fruits Farm t-shirt. Then come back into the Farm Store for a cheese board and glass of wine or beer, or just to warm up in a comfy chair, as you plan your next visit to dote on your favorite doe.

The farm store will have a limited repertoire of cheese for sale, as well as other products (meats, eggs, sausages, locally milled flour, honey, jam, PFF& C “merch” and more!

Taking reservations for spring goat kids

If you’re looking for exceptionally healthy, American-Dairy-Goat-Association-registerable breeding stock (doelings and bucklings) or just a great pet/companion, consider reserving a kid or more through our website. Our kidding season will start in mid- March, and prices vary by age.

Volunteer Opportunities at the Farm

If you’re interested in volunteering during kidding season (we need lots of help feeding baby goats, cleaning their pens and making sure they’re happy and healthy), send us an email and we’ll add you to our list of volunteers. The email address is: prairiefruitsinfo@gmail.com Feeding shifts are 7-8 AM, 12-1 PM and 4:30-5:30 PM, 7 days a week from mid-March through mid-May.

Once again, the winter weather has conspired against us. Due to extremely dangerous icy conditions at the farm, we will not be open this weekend for our "dote on the does" activities. The farm store will not be open either. We apologize for having to cancel our winter open hours, but we are concerned for the safety of our patrons and our staff. Stay tuned for future postings about the next opportunity on February 9th and 10th. Keep warm.

The snow storm forecast for Saturday looks pretty intense, so we've decided to cancel our farm open hours and "Dote on the Does" for tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 12th). We will NOT have our cheese at the Urbana Market in the Square (with Blue Moon Farm) either. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but we are concerned about treacherous road conditions out here.

We will be open Sunday, Jan. 13th, from 11-3 and you are most welcome to visit the farm in all its winter wonderland glory!

Last weekend, the sun shone so brightly and the air held traces of a false scent of spring. It was the kind of weather that lured us off of our comfy chairs and compelled us to clean; a “no excuses” kind of day so atypical of winter. My target was the chicken coop. The laying hens’ sense of hygiene and feed frugality leave a lot to be desired. The neglected floor of the coop had a layer of co-mingled waste feed, straw bedding and manure so dense and compacted; we needed a pick ax to break it loose.

We collected our implements and let the hens out of their fenced yard to roam the orchard and the compost pile. They reveled in their freedom, fanning out across the dormant grass and pushing away the swirling piles of desiccated leaves. They were downright giddy with the warm weather that had softened the soil, revealing the occasional dormant grub.

While they busied themselves hunting for insects, we got to work on our cleaning job. Wes broke loose the coop floor debris and pushed it out the door; I scooped it up and placed onto the cart that would take it to the compost pile. Several of the hens, concerned about the goings on in their “house” wandered back from time to time, expressing clucking concerns about the disruptive project. Once the original wood of the floor became visible, I moved inside to get to work on freeing the roosts of the hens’ nightly toilet deposits. Then, I removed the straw bedding from the nest boxes and brushed away the cobwebs around the corners of the coop. Soon, the coop’s original foot print revealed itself, and I could begin to reconstruct their basic necessities: fresh straw for the nest boxes, a skiff of straw underneath the roosts to collect their nightly deposits, fresh water and clean feed and scratch.

All the while, the broody hens wandered in and out of the coop to check on my progress. As soon as the fresh straw was tucked neatly into the nest boxes, one of the red hens dove in head first and clucked with delight. Another reddish-grey gal with a mini-afro scratched away the fresh straw underneath the roost and belted out the call they make after they have laid an egg. Clearly she approved of our housekeeping standards. The other hens, intrigued by her calls, pulled themselves away from the compost pile to revel in their freshly primped digs. I know how they feel; there are few things more satisfying than a freshly cleaned house.

Dote on the Does

During the winter months, the farm seems fairly quiet, but actually there’s a lot going on. The hardest working animals on the farm are our female goats, or does, which are in the middle of their 150-day gestation period. Each doe is starting to show signs of pregnancy as their bodies go into overdrive to develop the babies inside. It’s this time of the year they deserve a little pampering!

Come out for “Dote on the Does” and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a specialty coffee drink as you meet the moms of the babies that will be born this spring. Our staff will be grooming and feeding the goats, as well as answering any questions you may have. Watch as we measure and track the girth of the does scheduled first to go (kidding season should start the first full week in March): Helena, Medusa, Periwinkle, Violet, and Zora.

While you’re out at the farm, be sure to take your guess at which doe will give birth first! Pick a doe, a date and the number of kids for a chance to win a free Prairie Fruits Farm t-shirt. Then come back into the Farm Store for a cheese board and glass of wine or beer, or just to warm up in a comfy chair, as you plan your next visit to dote on your favorite doe. The farm store will have a limited repertoire of cheese for sale, as well as other products (meats, eggs, sausages, locally milled flour, honey, jam, PFF& C “merch” and more!

Dates are every two weeks, starting this weekend, 1/12-13 through the end of February.

Farm Store Hours 11am – 3pm.

Follow directions to our farm on our website. Please note that it is NOW easier than ever to get to the farm, even in bad weather—North Lincoln Ave and Olympian Drive Eastward are brand new roads, maintained by the city of Urbana during inclement winter weather.

Moonglo: indulge yourself by making a fancy grilled cheese with this cheese

Pelota Roja: The piquant Manchego style cheese with a guajillo-chile rub on the rind—this is the cheese we make for Rick Bayless’ restaurants-Frontera Grill-Topolobampa-Leña Brava. It is perfect grated over scrambled eggs or a winter frittata.

We will also have these cheeses available for sale in our farm store during the open hours this weekend: Saturday and Sunday, 11 AM to 3 PM.

Taking reservations for spring goat kids

If you’re looking for exceptionally healthy, American-Dairy-Goat-Association-registerable breeding stock (doelings and bucklings) or just a great pet/companion, consider reserving a kid or more through our website. Our kidding season will start in mid- March, and prices vary by age.

Prairie Fruits Farm is HIRING!

Job Opening: Head Cheesemaker/Production Manager

Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, LCC is an artisan farmstead goat dairy and creamery located in Champaign, Illinois. This award-winning creamery, established in 2005, is looking for a new cheesemaker to manage the production of the current line of products (cheese and gelato). We are looking for a candidate who would love to be part of a small artisan operation and help to further develop the company with increasing production volumes, developing new products, and improving the overall profitability of the operation.

The ideal person has 2 to 5 years of experience with cheese making and understands what it takes to produce dairy products safely in a small, family-owned farmstead operation. In addition to cheese-making, the production manager would be responsible for making gelato base, flavoring and spinning gelato, managing cheese and gelato inventory, managing wholesale accounts, supervising other cheeserie employees and maintaining all relevant records related to production and food safety compliance.

As time permits, the ideal candidate could also is participate in other farm activities, such as marketing and promotion, goat milking and agri-tourism, etc. The new cheesemaker will receive initial training by the owners, and will gradually take over management-level duties when trained.

We also encourage those who aspire to a career as a cheesemaker and/or working for an artisan company to apply if they have significant experience in similar fields (culinary, food science, production of fermented foods/beverages) and have a clear motivation to follow this career path for the long-run.

The candidate must have an eye for detail, excellent organizational skills, impeccable sense of hygiene, ability to be on his/her feet for 8-10 hours/day, ability to lift 50 lbs. or more and an ability to work independently and with a small team (2-3 people). The company is offering a competitive salary with benefits which will depend on the quality and experience of the candidate.

The position is open now and can be filled between January 20th and March 1st. If interested email / your resume (including names and contact information of three work-related references) with a letter to: Leslie Cooperband prairiefruits@gmail.com

If you’re interested in volunteering during kidding season (we need lots of help feeding baby goats, cleaning their pens and making sure they’re happy and healthy), send us an email and we’ll add you to our list of volunteers. The email address is: prairiefruitsinfo@gmail.com

Feeding shifts are 7-8 AM, 12-1 PM and 4:30-5:30 PM, 7 days a week from mid-March through mid-May.

Browns and grays dominate the farm’s color palette this time of year, offset by the reds of the barn door and the pavilion roof. The few days of blue-sky sunlight and the ribbons of orange and yellow strewn across the western sun-setting sky provide much-needed visual relief as we approach the darkness of the winter solstice. Life pushes back against the inertia of hibernation. The resident hawks, perched on fence posts, salivate over unimpeded views of desiccated grasses barely hiding the raised tunnels of their favorite prey. The pond, still with open water, provides respite for chatty migratory geese and ducks. The herons linger too, sometimes sighted far from their usual proximity to water, perhaps hoping to score a “turf-born” morsel rather than their usual “surf-born” fare.

This is the beginning of down shifting, the time of year when we can walk the farm and take stock of lingering needs. The greenery that hid the piles of rotting wood, burn piles and old farm equipment has died back, leaving the exposed nakedness of patchy pastures, bare-trunk fruit trees, discarded moldy hay bales and messy compost piles. The farm dogs embrace our own tendencies for laziness. Wes has to fight them for the coveted recumbent position on the couch. Exposing the myriad of winter projects is akin to tackling a vice; acknowledgment is the first step in a long line of steps to improvement and change. For now, we will allow ourselves some time to rest, to indulge the slumber that darkness encourages. Winter is the farmer’s best friend.

Farmers’ Market and Farm Store (aka The Real Stand) Offerings

We’ll be at the final indoor “Market in the Square” of the 2018 season, inside Lincoln Square Mall this Saturday, 8 AM to 12:15 PM. We have our regular spot next to Blue Moon Farm.

If you miss us at the market, come see us at the farm. We’re open 1-4 PM Saturday and Sunday through December 23rd. Our farm store will be closed in January and February, except for special events. So, come out for a little goat lovin' and a warm drink or cheese board.

If you think our farm is far from town, in fact, we are REALLY close to Champaign-Urbana—literally 5 miles from each downtown. We are also within two miles of both I-74 and I-57. Follow directions on our website if you’re not familiar.

The line-up of cheese offerings this week has diminished, but the flavors of what we have to offer will sure to delight your holiday guests. In short work, our cheeses will be the star attraction of your perfect appetizers or the accent of our savory main dishes:

Fresh chevre: plain, herbs de Provence, cracked pepper-the milk is SUPER rich and the texture of the chevre is perfect for a simple holiday dip. Try one of our flavored chevre, or just drizzle the plain chevre with some local honey or a balsamic vinegar reduction, serve with raw or pickled veggies.

Goat Milk Feta: Our flavorful and tangy feta is aged and packed in whey brine. It's perfect to crumble on a fall salad or a top a hearty stew or bowl of chili. Check out our newest recipe “Baked Feta with Olives, Honey & Thyme.” This is PERFECT for simple & delicious holiday entertaining! THIS IS THE LAST FETA IN THE HOUSE FOR THE SEASON (CHEESE HOUSE), SO GRAB A CONTAINER THIS WEEKEND! We won’t be making more feta until next spring.

Spiced Feta in Extra Virgin Olive Oil- Don’t to mess with recipes or cooking for the hordes of holiday guests? This ready-made appetizer is perfect with some crusty bread and a jar of fancy pickles. It’s all dressed up and ready to go home with you. Let the container come to room temperature so that the congealed olive oil liquefies.

Moonglo: Spring milk batches of this raw milk tomme (sort of like a Gouda, but not really) produce a more mild, tangy paste with hints of pineapple. Melts well, or just slice and enjoy with your favorite salami. You could even use it in place of Swiss style cheeses for fondue OR grate it over roasted veggies or a vegetable gratin. If you really want to impress your holiday guests, try this recipe for roasted pumpkin-filled fondue pots.

Gelato: If you’re looking for a perfect accompaniment to your decadent holiday desserts, try our gelato. We only have a few pints of vanilla left. These are the last pints of the season. Pints only at the market ($10 each or 3 for $27); scoops at the farm during open hours.

Tulsi Tea from Delight Flower Farm-tulsi is a variety of basil known for its sweet aroma and medicinal properties. With a spoonful of honey, this tea will warm you up and keep you healthy during the cold months ahead.

PFFC goat meat—we have one pound packages of stew meat (1 lb. packages, $13/lb.). Pasture raised, very lean and mild, try the meat that most of the rest of the world enjoys regularly.

Goat Milk Soaps by Red Barn Farm—made with goat milk, organic olive oil and organic coconut oil and herbs or essential oils (no artificial fragrances). They are pure and gentle on the skin: $6.50/bar or 3 for $19

NEW in the store:

Folkmanis screaming Nubian goat hand puppet. Check out the newest of our line of goat puppets. This beautiful dappled Nubian hollers like the real deal when squeezed. It’s a must have for the goat lover in your life ($56/each). Mountain Goat Puppets have made a last minute return to the farm store ($36/each)

Rustic cheese boards--hand-made from wood milled right on the farm (maple, cherry, ash)—these 3-4 ft. boards are lightly stained with a coffee stain. They are perfect for creative a simple and elegant cheese and wine board for your holiday entertaining. ONLY $30/each!!

Visit the Farm during Open Hours

This is the final weekend that the farm will be open before we close the farm for the winter. Come visit during open hours: Saturdays & Sundays, 1-4 PM. Pet the goats, enjoy the natural surroundings in early winter (the farm is really beautiful this time of year), relax inside our cozy farm store with a warm drink, a glass of wine or beer and a “build your own” cheese board. We’ll also have some special treats for you to enjoy with a warm coffee drink or some mulled wine (Glugg)-chevre cheese cake by the slice and warmed pecan buns.

Holiday Wishes and Thank you

We have had a wonderful 2018 season filled with beautiful goats, delicious cheese, memorable farm-to-table events and amazing dedicated staff. We want to thank you, our patrons, for supporting us and helping us end the year on a very positive note. We also want to let everyone know that things will continue “business as usual” at the farm in 2019. In fact, we are already starting to plan for even more events at the farm next year! Stay tuned to see what we’re planning. In the meantime, stay warm and enjoy the comforts of the season with delicious local foods and good company. Happy Holidays to all and we’ll see you in the New Year!!

Don’t tell our dogs, but at heart, I’m a cat person. Growing up, we were not allowed pets, save for some fish and an occasional “Woolworth” turtle. This prohibition did not deter us kids from setting clandestine bowls of milk underneath our porch steps for stray cats. A kaleidoscope of colored cats and kittens came and went from under our house; some became tame enough to let us pet them or, even better, pick them up and cuddle them. For the chosen few who let us into their lives, our greatest thrill was to let them inside the house when our mother wasn’t home.

In the context of my long history of attraction to stray cats, I spied a lovely Siamese cat hunting in the fields a little over two months ago. It seemed odd that a Siamese cat would be feral. Over the ensuing weeks, we would see him hunting in our pasture, and sometimes Blue would be found barking incessantly in the orchard, only to find the Siamese cat high up in an apple tree. Slowly he/she (we could never get close enough to assess the gender; we’ll go with male for now) made his way into the goat barns; there he found a bountiful supply of mice on which to subsist. He took up residence underneath a junk pile in the kid barn; sometimes Erica would spot him in a feed bunk or taking a stroll through the chicken coop (he never harmed the hens).

He would never let us get close, affirming our suspicions that someone had discarded him some time ago. Then, early on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, we found him hiding inside our barn dining room. Not sure how he got inside, we attempted to tame the savage beast with a bowl of warm goat milk and some wet cat food. Hunger overtook fear; he inhaled the milk and the cat food, retreating underneath the furniture if any human came too close.

The guests started to arrive for brunch, and we continued to place a bowl of warm milk under a chair for him to indulge. A guest noticed this striking yet timid feline and put her fingers to the ground to draw him near. Her cat whisperer aura wafted in his direction and within minutes, he was letting her pet him. The dam had broken, and now he was rolling over, exposing his belly to be petted. Soon, he was performing his Siamese cat song to all the guests who were smitten by his charm.

I too was smitten. I had been watching him from afar for nearly two months, hoping I could convince him to trust me. Within a matter of hours, he had gone from skittish and elusive to friendly, demanding and affectionate. After allowing us to get close enough to check out his anatomy, it was clear he was an intact male. Since most pet cats are neutered, I assumed he was truly feral. I got him set up with cat food, water and his own litter box. I dewormed him and treated him with flea treatment. I made him an appointment to see our vet. He worked his feline spell over me, with his endearing blue cross-eyes and his classic Siamese meow. We named him Simon.

When I took him to our vet, she began her exam, noting how tame and friendly he was. She too was perplexed by how quickly he had transformed from wild to domestic. When she waved her scanner over his head, a beep went off, signaling an ID chip. We were both stunned. After a couple of phone calls, we located the rightful owners. They are neighbors who told me he had gone missing in mid-September. They assumed he had either been killed by a combine (it was harvest season) or taken by a coyote. His name was Parsley, and he had already fathered a couple of litters of kittens (hence the reason they hadn’t neutered him). They came to the farm to retrieve him, the husband so happy he cried with joy. I gave my Simon a final hug and returned him to his owners, to his life as Parsley.

Farewell to our Cheese Maker

This week, we say a fond farewell to our head cheese maker, Lynn. She came to us from Colorado, having grown up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Although she started in our creamery with no cheese making experience, her love of dairy and her strong background in science and food safety allowed her to learn the craft rather quickly. After a couple of years, with her cheese-making “partner in crime,” Dani, she began to master both the art and science of cheese making.

For five seasons, she has toiled over sinks full of dirty cheese molds, flipped and wrapped countless little bloomy rind cheeses and packed thousands of containers of fresh chevre. The other day she informed she had made close to 1200 batches of cheese and over 90 batches of gelato base in her tenure at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery. She leaves for new adventures in her professional career. We will miss her hard work ethic, her attention to detail and her striving for the perfect rind.

Beauty in winter Earlier this week, the farm was enveloped in shroud of glorious snow fog. The result: Hoar frost. Definition: a grayish-white crystalline deposit of frozen water vapor formed in clear still weather on vegetation, fences, etc. Check out our photo collage and see for yourselves and enjoy the beauty.

Farmers’ Market and Farm Store (aka The Real Stand) Offerings

We’re back at the indoor “Market in the Square” inside Lincoln Square Mall this Saturday, 8 AM to 12:15 PM. We have our regular spot next to Blue Moon Farm. If you miss us at the market, come see us at the farm. We’re open 1-4 PM Saturdays and Sundays through December 23rd.

If you think our farm is far from town, in fact, we are REALLY close to Champaign-Urbana—literally 5 miles from each downtown. We are also within two miles of both I-74 and I-57. Follow directions on our website if you’re not familiar.

The line-up of cheeses has diminished, but the flavors of what we have to offer will sure to delight your holiday guests. In short work, our cheeses will be the star attraction of your perfect appetizers:

Fresh chevre: plain, herbs de Provence, cracked pepper-the milk is SUPER rich and the texture of the chevre is perfect for a simple holiday dip. Try one of our flavored chevre, or just drizzle the plain chevre with some local honey or a balsamic vinegar reduction, serve with raw or pickled veggies.

Goat Milk Feta: Our flavorful and tangy feta is aged and packed in whey brine. It's perfect to crumble on a fall salad or a top a hearty stew or bowl of chili. Try it on a home-made pizza too.

Spiced Feta in Extra Virgin Olive Oil-just in time for the holidays, this ready-made appetizer is perfect with some crusty bread and a jar of fancy pickles. It’s all dressed up and ready to go home with you. Let the container come to room temperature so that the congealed olive oil liquefies.

Moonglo: Spring milk batches of this raw milk tomme (sort of like a Gouda, but not really) produce a more mild, tangy paste with hints of pineapple. The texture of the cheese is a bit more firm than fall milk batches. Melts well, or just slice and enjoy with your favorite salami or use in place of swiss style cheeses for a fondue (NOTE: We have a couple of pieces of Green Peppercorn-Barley Wine Moonglo left—come early to grab these guys).

Gelato: If you’re looking for a perfect accompaniment to your decadent holiday desserts, try our gelato. We only have pints of vanilla and red currant sorbetto left. These are the last pints of the season, as we are not making more gelato until next year. Pints only at the market ($10 each or 3 for $27); scoops at the farm during open hours.

Tulsi Tea from Delight Flower Farm-tulsi is a variety of basil known for its sweet aroma and medicinal properties. With a spoonful of honey, this tea will warm you up and keep you healthy during the cold months ahead.

PFFC goat meat—we have one pound packages of stew meat (1 lb. packages, $13/lb.). Pasture raised, very lean and mild, try the meat that most of the rest of the world enjoys regularly.

Goat Milk Soaps by Red Barn Farm—made with goat milk, organic olive oil and organic coconut oil and herbs or essential oils (no artificial fragrances). They are pure and gentle on the skin: $6.50/bar or 3 for $19

NEW in the store:

Folkmanis screaming Nubian goat hand puppet. Check out the newest of our line of goat puppets. This beautiful dappled Nubian hollers like the real deal when squeezed. It’s a must have for the goat lover in your life ($56/each).

Rustic cheese boards--hand-made from wood milled right on the farm (maple, cherry, ash)—these 3-4 ft. boards are lightly stained with a coffee stain. They are perfect for creative a simple and elegant cheese and wine board for your holiday entertaining. ONLY $30/each!!

Visit the Farm during Open Hours

Thank you to all who have come out over the past few weekends to take pictures with our holiday goats and enjoy some food and beverage in our holiday pop-up café. It was busy and festive around here. We hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.

There are two more weekends left before we close the farm for the winter. Come visit during open hours: Saturdays & Sundays, 1-4 PM. Pet the goats, enjoy the natural surroundings in early winter (the farm is really beautiful this time of year), relax inside our cozy farm store with a warm drink from our goat milk coffee bar, a glass of wine or beer and a “build your own” cheese board. It’s a great way to de-stress and enjoy a little reprieve from the holiday hustle and bustle.

I love snow. I love new snow, big fat snowflake snow, snow falling so furiously it blurs the horizon. I admire the way fresh snow cleanses the landscape. I love the way it muffles sound, like the mute on a Dixieland jazz band trumpet. I love the way it inconveniences people, forcing them to slow down, to pay attention, to change their plans.

I love the way snow accumulates on the backs of cattle toughing it out in the pasture. The pile of white stuff on their backs belies their secret to staying warm; their life warming blood retreats to their bodies’ core. I love the imprints of new foot tracks that expose the traffic of illusive wildlife.

I like breaking new ground in the virgin blanket of whiteness, being the first to leave a human print. I appreciate the well-stacked woodpile from which I haul a few logs at a time, keeping the wood stove fire well stoked.

The Farm Store is Open for the Holidays

Beat the holiday shopping crowds—come shop at our farm store! Remember: We won’t be back to the Urbana Market in the Square until Saturday, December 22nd (we might make a secret appearance at the 12/15 market, but we’re not sure yet).

Come out to the Farm and shop. We have lots of cheese for you. If you think our farm is far from town, in fact, we are REALLY close to Champaign-Urbana—literally 5 miles from each downtown. We are also within two miles of both I-74 and I-57. Follow directions on our website if you’re not familiar.

Holiday Pop-Up Café

If you missed the debut of our winter holiday pop-up café last Saturday, come on out this Saturday. We’re open December 8th, 12 noon to 3 PM for heart-warming old-world inspired holiday foods and drinks:

Price range for most food items is $6-10/item. No reservations required.

Stay for the “Holiday Goat Photo Booth” 12 to 4 pm

(NOTE: The farm store and café will close at 3PM on Saturday, 12/8 so we can get the dining room ready for our farm dinner that evening. We will accommodate folks who want to take pictures with the holiday goats until 4 pm).

Bring your friends, your family or just yourselves and have your pictures taken with our festive holiday goats. This year, we are taking high quality digital photos (using digital cameras, not phones) for visitors and charging $5/photo. We’ll get your email address before we take the picture and then email you the pictures to craft your holiday cards or digital holiday photo greetings.

Please note it takes us several days to download and organize the pictures. We try to send pictures no later than the Wednesday following picture taking.

While at the Farm, try some cheese!

We have the last of our bloomies—little bloom and black goat AND the green peppercorn Moonglo in our cheese cooler this weekend. Once they’re gone, that is IT until next spring.

Here’s the current cheese line up:

Fresh chevre: plain, herbs de Provence, cracked pepper-late lactation milk is making some super-rich chevre-stock up now and throw some in your freezer for winter

Goat Milk Feta: Our flavorful and tangy feta is aged and packed in whey brine. It's perfect to crumble on a fall salad or a top a hearty stew or bowl of chili. Try it on a home-made pizza too.

Spiced Feta in Extra Virgin Olive Oil-just in time for the holidays, this ready-made appetizer is perfect with some crusty bread and a jar of fancy pickles. It’s all dressed up and ready to go home with you.

Little Bloom on the Prairie:LAST CHANCE! This batch is has achieved that perfectly gooey ripe stage. It’s perfect for a “brie en croute” or baked with your favorite cheese accompaniments—sliced apples or pears, one of our savory sauces (pear chutney, salsa verde), chopped nuts, local honey—the possibilities are endless.

Black Goat: LAST CHANCE-very limited availability--an ash-coated bloomy rind cheese with a delicate and crinkly yeasty rind. This final batch of the season has wonderful yeasty aroma and a tart lemony taste. It is ripening nicely. Try serving it with one of our house-made jams (red currant or rhubarb are my favorites).

Moonglo: Spring milk batches of this raw milk tomme (sort of like a Gouda, but not really) produce a more mild, tangy paste with hints of pineapple. The texture of the cheese is a bit more firm than fall milk batches. Melts well, or just slice and enjoy with your favorite salami.

Green Peppercorn-Barley Wine Moonglo:LAST CHANCE--another spring-milk experiment. Just before the curds had set in the vat, we add cracked green peppercorns. The rinds were washed with a local barley wine. The green peppercorns give a hint of floral pepperiness, the barley wine provides a bit of sweetness; the combination is sure to delight. Try melting over roasted cauliflower or beets.

Gelato: If you’re looking for a perfect accompaniment to your decadent holiday desserts, try our gelato. We only have pints of vanilla and red currant sorbetto left. These are the last pints of the season, as we are not making more gelato until next year. Pints only at the market ($10 each or 3 for $27); scoops at the farm during open hours.

Other Treats and Cheese Accompaniments:

Jarred Goat Milk Cajeta (a Mexican style caramel sauce with cinnamon)

Fudgy Cajeta (caramel sauce with chocolate ganache!!)-may not be available until Dec.15/16

Tulsi Tea from Delight Flower Farm-tulsi is a variety of basil known for its sweet aroma and medicinal properties. With a spoonful of honey, this tea will warm you up and keep you healthy during the cold months ahead.

Fire Cider a special brew to keep those winter colds at bay

PFFC goat meat—we have one pound packages of stew meat (1 lb. packages, $13/lb.). Pasture raised, very lean and mild, try the meat that most of the rest of the world enjoys regularly.

NEW in the store: Folkmanis mountain goat hand puppet. This award-winning design is the perfect gift for the aspiring goat herder in your life. $36 each.

Weeknight Classes Last chance to sign up for our final class of the season “Cheese, wine and spirits for holiday entertaining,” Wednesday, December 12th, 6-8 pm. Bring some friends and enjoy an evening of cheese, accompaniments and wine & spirits. We’ll show you how to craft an eye-popping holiday cheese board and pair with wines and spirits. You’ll learn some things AND have a lot of fun. Registration is required and seating is limited to 30 people per class. Sign up NOW!

Happy Holidays, Thank you and The Farm in winter

After this weekend, the farm store will be open Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm through December 23rd. Then, we will take a break over winter, letting the goats rest as their babies grow inside them. We’ll be in touch from time to time, if we decide to bring some cheese to the Urbana Market in the Square or if we host a winter farm-to-table meal or winter farm event. We wish all of our patrons the happiest and healthiest of the holiday season. We thank you all for supporting us all these years, and we look forward to serving you again in spring 2019.

It’s been a roller coaster ride out of and into winter this week. From balmy mud and pasture-grazing goats one day to snow-covered frozen tundra the next day, it’s a challenge for the body to adapt. It felt like I boarded a plane in autumnal Georgia and landed in mid-winter Alaska. The goats’ response to the brusque drop in temperature—stay very still. Mostly pregnant, they protest ever louder over their twice daily milking duties. Their dwindling milk, ever richer, ferments into curd so dense and massive, it hurts my forearms to ladle it out of the vat.

The farm is getting ready for the rest that winter will provide. Four wagon-loads of grass hay arrived this week, some bales stacked so precariously, they teetered on the brink of falling over. One by one, they were hoisted onto the bale elevator to ascend to their temporary resting place inside our hay loft. Soon, the milkers’ diet will shift from rich alfalfa bailage to dry grass hay; the leaner forage will fuel their rumens and keep their bodies warm as their babies grow inside them.

The Farm Store is Open for the Holidays

Beat the holiday shopping crowds—come shop at our farm store! Remember: We won’t be back to the Urbana Market in the Square until Saturday, December 22nd. SO, come out to the Farm and shop. If you think our farm is far from town, in fact, we are REALLY close to Champaign-Urbana—literally 5 miles from each downtown. We are also within two miles of both I-74 and I-57. Follow direction on our website if you’re not familiar.

Holiday Pop-Up Café

Chef Raquel and her trusty kitchen assistant Sarah are rolling up their sleeves for two Saturdays in December. Join us December 1st and December 8th, 11 AM to 2 PM for heart-warming old-world inspired holiday foods and drinks:

Bring your friends, your family or just yourselves and have your pictures taken with our festive holiday goats. This year, we are taking high quality digital photos (using digital cameras, not phones) for visitors and charging $5/photo. We’ll get your email address before we take the picture and then email you the pictures to craft your holiday cards or digital holiday photo greetings. Please note it takes us several days to download and organize the pictures. We try to send pictures no later than the Wednesday following picture taking.

While at the Farm, try some cheese! Here’s the current cheese line up:

Fresh chevre: plain, herbs de Provence, cracked pepper-late fall milk is making some super-rich chevre-stock up now and throw some in your freezer for winter

Goat Milk Feta: Our flavorful and tangy feta is aged and packed in a whey brine. It's perfect to crumble on a fall salad or a top a hearty stew or bowl of chili. Try it on a home-made pizza too.

Spiced Feta in Extra Virgin Olive Oil-just in time for the holidays, this ready-made appetizer is perfect with some crusty bread and a jar of fancy pickles. It’s all dressed up and ready to go home with you.

Little Bloom on the Prairie: This batch is has achieved that perfectly gooey ripe stage. It’s perfect for a “brie en croute” or baked with your favorite cheese accompaniments—sliced apples or pears, one of our savory sauces (pear chutney, salsa verde), chopped nuts, local honey—the possibilities are endless. These rounds are the last ones in the house, so get them while you can.

Black Goat: an ash-coated bloomy rind cheese with a delicate and crinkly yeasty rind. This final batch of the season has wonderful yeasty aroma and a tart lemony taste. It is ripening nicely. Try serving it with one of our house-made jams (red currant or rhubarb are my favorites).

Moonglo: Spring milk batches of this raw milk tomme (sort of like a Gouda, but not really) produce a more mild, tangy paste with hints of pineapple. The texture of the cheese is a bit more firm than fall milk batches. Melts well, or just slice and enjoy with your favorite salami.

Green Peppercorn-Barley Wine Moonglo: another spring-milk experiment. Just before the curds had set in the vat, we add cracked green peppercorns. The rinds were washed with a local barley wine. The green peppercorns give a hint of floral pepperiness, the barley wine provides a bit of sweetness; the combination is sure to delight. Try melting over roasted cauliflower or beets. These are the last wedges of the season, so come out if you really love this version of Moonglo

Gelato: If you’re looking for a perfect accompaniment to your decadent holiday desserts, try our gelato. We only have pints of vanilla and red currant sorbetto left. These are the last pints of the season, as we are not making more gelato until next year. Pints only at the market ($10 each or 3 for $27); scoops at the farm during open hours.

Tulsi Tea from Delight Flower Farm-tulsi is a variety of basil known for its sweet aroma and medicinal properties. With a spoonful of honey, this tea will warm you up and keep you healthy during the cold months ahead.

Fire Cider a special brew to keep those winter colds at bay

PFFC goat meat—we have one pound packages of stew meat (1 lb. packages, $13/lb.). Pasture raised, very lean and mild, try the meat that most of the rest of the world enjoys regularly.

NEW in the store: Folkmanis mountain goat hand puppet. This award-winning design is the perfect gift for the aspiring goat herder in your life. $36 each.

Weeknight Classes It’s not too late to sign up for our final cheese-centric class of the season-Wednesday, December 12th, 6-8 pm. Bring some friends and enjoy an evening of cheese, accompaniments and wine & spirits. We’ll show you how to craft an eye-popping holiday cheese board and pair with wines and spirits. You’ll learn something AND have a lot of fun. Registration is required and seating is limited to 30 people per class. Sign up NOW!

We spent our thanksgiving like we have done for over a decade: milking the goats in the morning, making chevre and preparing our thanksgiving feast on the farm. The sun was shining and the weather was warm enough to coax the goats outside to nibble on the scant green vegetation in the pasture.

Wes and the bird

Blue begging for some turkey

The turkey, from Bane Family Meats, was prepped and bathed in an herby-olive oil rub and then set inside our wood-fired grill for a few hours. The cornbread stuffing was made with Severson Farm cornmeal, Flyway Farm mushrooms and Blue Moon Farm fennel. The guests arrived with an overwhelming amount of sides and several bottles of wine—some innovative dishes prepared from locally-sourced ingredients; others derived from long-standing family traditions. The bounty of food far exceeded the number of people at the dinner table.

Market Offerings-at the Farm

Remember: We won’t be back to the Market in the Square until Saturday, December 22nd. That said, our farm store is open Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm through December 23rd. For those of you who haven’t yet venture out to our farm, we are REALLY close to Champaign-Urbana—literally 5 miles from each downtown. Follow directionson our website if you’re not familiar.

Here’s the current cheese line up:

Fresh chevre: plain, herbs de Provence, cracked pepper-late summer/early fall milk is making some rich chevre-start stocking up and throw some in your freezer for winter

Goat Milk Feta: Our flavorful and tangy feta is aged and packed in a whey brine. It's perfect to crumble on a fall salad or a top a hearty stew or bowl of chili.

Spiced Feta in Extra Virgin Olive Oil-just in time for the holidays, this ready-made appetizer is perfect with some crusty bread and a jar of fancy pickles.

Little Bloom on the Prairie: This batch is has achieved that perfectly gooey ripe stage. It’s perfect for a “brie en croute” or baked with your favorite cheese accompaniments—sliced apples or pears, one of our savory sauces (caponata, salsa verde), chopped nuts, local honey—the possibilities are endless..

Black Goat: an ash-coated bloomy rind cheese with a delicate and crinkly yeasty rind. This final batch of the season has wonderful yeasty aroma and a tart lemony taste. It is ripening nicely. Try serving it with one of our house-made jams (red currant or rhubarb are my favorites).

Moonglo: Spring milk batches of this raw milk tomme (sort of like a Gouda, but not really) produce a more mild, tangy paste with hints of pineapple. The texture of the cheese is a bit more firm than fall milk batches. Melts well, or just slice and enjoy with your favorite salami.

Green Peppercorn-Barley Wine Moonglo: another spring-milk experiment. Just before the curds had set in the vat, we add cracked green peppercorns. The rinds were washed with a local barley wine. The green peppercorns give a hint of floral pepperiness, the barley wine provides a bit of sweetness; the combination is sure to delight. Try melting over roasted cauliflower or beets.

Gelato: If you’re looking for a perfect accompaniment to pie, try our gelato. We only have pints of vanilla and red currant sorbetto left. These are the last pints of the season, as we are not making more gelato until next year. Pints only at the market ($10 each or 3 for $27); scoops at the farm during open hours.

Tulsi Tea from Delight Flower Farm-tulsi is a variety of basil known for its sweet aroma and medicinal properties. With a spoonful of honey, this tea will warm you up and keep you healthy during the cold months ahead.

PFFC goat meat—we have one pound packages of stew meat (1 lb. packages, $13/lb.). Pasture raised, very lean and mild, try the meat that most of the rest of the world enjoys regularly.

Once again, we are transforming our farm store for the holidays. We’ll have locally-made gifts and delicious foods fresh from the farm.

In addition to our regular repertoire of offerings, we will be making some holiday cookies, offering the baked brie special (little bloom warmed with apples, candied pecans and served with a demi-baguette from Central IL Bakehouse)

Starting Saturday, November 24th, we’re offering ROASTING CHESTNUTS FROM CARY’S GARDEN OF EATIN’—the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit.

Step up to the GOAT MILK BAR FOR SOME WARM DRINKS:

Goat Cajeta Latte

Goat Cajeta Affogato

Goat Cajeta Steamer

Goat Milk Mocha

Goat Milk Hot Chocolate

Delight Flower Farm is now taking orders for holiday wreaths. Made with locally-sourced greenery, grapevines and dried flowers, they are show-stoppers!

The “Holiday Goat Photo Booth” returns on the following dates, 1 to 4 pm each date:

November 24th

December 1st

December 8th

Bring your friends, your family or just yourselves and have your pictures taken with our festive holiday goats. This year, we will be taking high quality digital photos (using digital cameras, not phones) for visitors and charging $5/photo. We’ll get your email address before we take the picture and then email you the pictures to craft your holiday cards or digital holiday photo greetings.

If the weather permits, we’ll be offering Sunday holiday hayrides around the farm.

Saturday December 1st and 8th we will also be offering a special holiday pop-up café. Stay tuned for hours, menu items and other details.

Fall Weeknight Classes It’s not too late to sign up for our cheese-centric classes. Bring some friends and enjoy an evening of cheese, accompaniments and either beer or wine & spirits. You’ll learn something AND have a lot of fun. Registration is required and seating is limited to 30 people per class (Wednesday evenings, 6-8 pm): November 28th and December 12th. Sign up NOW!

Farm Dinners I encourage you to book your tickets now for the remaining date (December 8th). There are only six seats left. It will be an early winter holiday celebration themed meal. The chef’s inspiration for the menu is the classic foreign (Danish) film “Babette’s Feast.” We’ll be showing the film (silently) during the dinner.